In high performance duplex feeders maximum utilization must be made of the stock feed time available during each cycle of operation of the punch press with which the feeder is used, and to accomplish this it is desirable in some cases to have each of the feed units essentially physically and operationally independent of one another so that each of the two feed slides may commence an index stroke as soon as possible after completing its feed stroke and without having to wait until the time that the other feed slide starts its feed stroke. Also for the high performance of duplex feeders, particularly for larger feeder sizes, it is necessary to have a high capacity buffer system whereby the high speed feed motion of each feed slide and the stock being carried thereby may be rapidly decellerated in a smooth efficient manner at the end of each stock feed stroke.